Exploring Fallout, Gaming’s Most Unexpected TV Hit

The post-apocalyptic TV show has come back to its platform, and it's fair to say that audiences were agreeably astonished by the caliber of its debut season. By depicting the atomic-age, post-apocalyptic United States through the lenses of three different characters, it managed to capture multiple facets of the gamer's experience.

There was Lucy the vault dweller, striving to act with integrity and finding that the ruined world made that very difficult; Brotherhood initiate Max, the Brotherhood of Steel rookie, who begins to question his cult's leadership and unleashes a lot of havoc in mechanized battle suit; and the Ghoul, a fan-favorite figure who has completely shed any moral compass out in the contaminated badlands.

Setting the Stage for a New Chapter

The show's first season finale unveiled a major secret about the culprits behind the atomic conflict that condemned a population in underground vaults for an extended period. It also left plenty of questions open for the upcoming chapter – and, on this occasion, hopes are much greater.

“We’ll take ‘pretty good’ – let’s get that on a poster,” quips Jonah Nolan.

“Starting the initial season, everyone’s like, ‘Just don't mess it up’,” comments Todd Howard. “We’re over the moon with the feedback to the show, so now people are bringing more excitement and different expectations.”

The Mojave Beckons for the Next Installment

The upcoming season is located in New Vegas, the backdrop of the 2010’s game Fallout: New Vegas, which is frequently celebrated for having the best writing and personalities in the series, even if it was somewhat buggy at launch.

“It embodies a arid atmosphere, a Mojave vibe, that’s so key to that game,” says Nolan. “That dusty, blasted-out iconic highway aesthetic of the game is so much enjoyable to bring into the show.”

In the series narrative, a considerable period has elapsed since the story of the New Vegas game by the time the protagonists make their way there. However, the creators hint that it does reference the gamer's experience.

The Importance of Physical Sets

The Fallout TV series is praised for its tangible quality – its creators ensured authentic items and locations were fabricated, reflecting the cobbled-together nature of the towns in the games.

“Being a genre enthusiast, so many series I watch, I’m aware that they’re all standing in front of a digital backdrop,” observes co-creator Geneva Robertson-Dworet. “The key objective of an translation, especially of a interactive medium, is to appear as if it’s authentic.”

In fact, virtually everything you see on-screen is physical, including the legendarily scary mutated beasts known as the apex predators. In the show, they are portrayed by puppets, and were by all accounts pretty frightening up close.

Made by Fans, for Fans

The Fallout series succeeds because it is developed by talented film-makers who are also dedicated players, with the help of the visionaries behind the video games. This common understanding for the world is apparent in the end result.

The second season is launching on a episode-by-episode basis rather than as a all-at-once release, marking a change from the initial release. This schedule will foster a altered viewing experience, a dynamic the team themselves are excited to witness.

“It delves deeper, it’s more expansive, it’s more humorous, it has a lot of surprises,” promises Howard. “I’m looking forward to seeing what people think.”